Richards Bay Coach Laments Lack Of Luck Against Pirates

Richards Bay co-coach Ronnie Gabriel has admitted that luck is not on their side, a common occurrence for teams battling relegation.

Bay suffered a 3-1 defeat to Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup round of 32 at King Zwelithini Stadium on Sunday. Despite enjoying periods of dominance, particularly after Yanela Mbuthuma pulled a goal back in the second half, they ultimately fell short.

They came close to equalizing when Thabani Gumede delivered a cross that eluded all Bay players, catching Pirates off guard. However, Pirates’ early dominance proved decisive, with Patrick Maswanganyi scoring twice in the first half, both goals assisted by the impressive Relebohile Mofokeng.

Although Bay briefly gained control after Mbuthuma’s goal, Tshegofatso Mabasa sealed the victory for Pirates with a superb finish in the final minute. This win marked a successful start to the 2025 Nedbank Cup campaign for the two-time defending champions.

Reflecting on the loss, Gabriel acknowledged that fortune has not favored his team during their relegation struggle.

“I’m sure you guys know better,” said Gabriel. 

“You know when you are down there, you look at the teams that are at the top, they get half chances and it goes in for them. 

“But for us, these half chances are just are not going into the back of the net. I don’t know if its murphy’s laws or whatever.  

“But it is up to us change it, it is up to us to continue believing in that we will turn things around and we will end up scoring goals. 

“So, we believe that we will turn it around.”  

The Natal Rich Boyz currently sit third from bottom with nine points after 14 matches. They have played one game more than bottom-placed Magesi FC (seven points) and three more than second-from-bottom Royal AM (eight points), whose matches have been suspended by the PSL due to unpaid player salaries.

Bay’s next match, a crucial six-pointer against Magesi, will take place at King Zwelithini Stadium on Friday.